Embattled Rensselaer County elections commissioner resigns in voter fraud investigation

The embattled Rensselaer County elections commissioner, Jason Schofield, is officially resigning from his position. This comes after he will reportedly plead guilty in connection to voter fraud.

The Rensselaer County Legislature majority made the announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 28 on social media. It said they accepted the immediate resignation of the Republican Rensselaer County Board of Elections commissioner.

Schofield was arrested in September by the FBI for federal criminal charges, accused of fraudulently obtaining and filing absentee ballots in the 2021 primary and general elections.

However, even after Schofield’s arrest, most of the Republican-led county legislature still appointed him to another four-year term earlier this month. That was until Schofield ultimately decided to step down.

A statement from Democratic Minority Leader Peter Grimm said in part:

“Schofield’s guilty plea confirms the ongoing culture of corruption we continue to witness by Republican operatives in Rensselaer County…these actions unfairly tip the balance of power to the Republicans – a practice becoming too common in Rensselaer County. When the legitimacy of an election is corrupted, our voting rights are stolen, and democracy is threatened.”

Schofield is due in court next month, where he is expected to plead guilty.

He was first appointed commissioner in 2018.